2025: a record year for US LNG export FIDs

On the Gulf Coast, Venture Global advanced its CP2 extension in Louisiana under a limited notice to proceed. Phase 1 FEED concluded and site work mobilised pending FID; Phase 2 FEED is now under way following FERC’s reinstatement of authorisation in May 2025. Venture Global targets first exports in Q3 2027, aligning with multiyear build cycles for large-scale LNG schemes. 

Coastal Bend LNG, a greenfield project in Texas, is pursuing a pre-FID filing with FERC before year-end. The planned 22.5 mtpa complex comprises five 4.5 mtpa trains, each integrated with cogeneration and carbon capture to monetise 45Q credits. CEO Nick Flores confirmed that FEED is under way with Solvanic and that ClassVI AI’s digital permitting platform will streamline regulatory submissions. 

Texas LNG, another Gulf Coast entrant, marked a regulatory milestone when FERC issued its final supplemental environmental impact statement (FSEIS) in June. The FSEIS resolves outstanding air-quality and environmental justice issues, strengthening “an already robust record of federal analysis and support,” according to founder and chief executive Brendan Duval. He highlighted Texas LNG’s “green by design” electric-motor-drive trains and reaffirmed plans for an end-2025 FID, supported by EPC partner Kiewit and offtake commitments from EQT Corp, Gunvor, Macquarie and an unnamed leading European utility. 

Innovation also surfaced in emerging automation strategies. Argent LNG unveiled an AI, drone and robotics roadmap for its Port Fourchon LNG export terminal, intending to apply advanced automation to inspections, maintenance and cargo handling. Argent LNG said this “first-of-its-kind” approach will enable continuous monitoring, predictive maintenance and rapid anomaly response, all with the aim of enhancing efficiency and safety at scale. 

Cheniere Energy confirmed plans to expand both Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi LNG export complexes. The company filed FERC applications to sanction Sabine Pass train 6, Corpus Christi train 3 and two additional Corpus Christi trains, supported by long-term offtake from creditworthy counterparties. Cheniere emphasised that these incremental expansions leverage existing infrastructure to deliver cost-efficient supply growth. 

Meanwhile, Delfin Midstream agreed early-works contracts for its US FLNG export project, targeting a FID in 2025. The Mooring Systems consortium will set out preliminary marine works, anchoring hardware and subsea connections, positioning the facility for a final decision later in the year. 

Golden Pass LNG filed for authorisation to export re-exported cargoes that have undergone regasification and re-liquefaction, a mechanism designed to improve cargo balancing and terminal utilisation. The filing seeks to broaden upstream market participation and unlock trading arbitrage opportunities. 

On the regulatory front, Freeport LNG secured an extension from FERC to complete construction of train 4, recognising delays from weather and supply-chain disruptions. The order grants until mid-2027 to finalise civil works and tie-ins, preserving the project’s authorised envelope. 

ConocoPhillips signed a 20-year SPA for one mtpa offtake from Port Arthur phase 2, solidifying upstream-to-export integration and supporting the final FID decision expected in H1 2026. 

Commonwealth LNG awarded Technip Energies an EPC contract for its Louisiana terminal’s pre-FEED stage, advancing detailed design for a 10 mtpa, two-train development that targets FID in late 2025. 

TotalEnergies and partners also approved Rio Grande train 4, expanding capacity by four mtpa. Project documentation highlights modular construction techniques to accelerate execution and reduce capital intensity. 

Cameron LNG marked its 1,000th US-export cargo, underlining the facility’s operational reliability since commissioning in 2019. The milestone cements Cameron’s role as a cornerstone of US Gulf supply to Europe and Asia. 

Relative newcomer, Venture Global won an arbitration award against Shell relating to CP1 price adjustments, safeguarding over US$250M in receivables and reinforcing the importance of robust contract frameworks under fluctuating market conditions. 

A long-time LNG export start-up on the cusp of fruition is Monkey Island LNG, a US$25Bn export terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, currently executing FEED under a Master Services Agreement awarded to McDermott International in September 2025, with engineering and planning activities ramping up immediately thereafter. The facility has selected ConocoPhillips’ Optimized Cascade Process for its three initial 5.2 mtpa trains, a choice driven by its “operational flexibility, quick restart capabilities, high efficiency, and proven performance above nameplate capacity” following an extensive technology selection study. Subject to FEED completion and regulatory approvals — engineering and permitting are slated to begin in 2026 — the project anticipates a final investment decision in the latter half of the decade, with first LNG exports targeted for the early 2030s. 

Finally, Woodside Energy took FID on the Louisiana LNG project and executed a one mtpa feed‐gas supply deal with BP, leveraging synergy between Woodside’s feedstock portfolio and BP’s offtake and shipping capabilities. 

Collectively, these developments illustrate a US FID wave that blends capacity growth, technological innovation and regulatory progress. As these projects advance from decision to construction, their execution will test engineering integration, financial structuring and environmental permitting — the critical path to translating 2025’s landmark FIDs into tangible export volumes.